Chapter Eight

Chapter 8: The Outside World

Chapter 8-1:

Seven months had passed since her Uncle Akashingo and the assassin Kurai had infiltrated the palace stealing the Blood Dagger. Kyra continued her training in a more ferocious manner enhancing her skills and speed even higher than they were. She was angry and disappointed that she wasn’t able to stop Kurai or help her Uncle Aylan. Her anger fueled her training and fueled her hatred of her newly discovered uncle, Akashingo. She wasn’t letting up in the least, as she didn’t want it to happen again.

Within the same time frame, Fujimoto was caught off guard as his encampment was about to be overrun. He had fallen into a deep depression fueled by alcohol from Toshin and Jade’s death, along with Amane’s exile. They tried torching the invading army with the leftover alcohol but in the end it meant nothing. Fujimoto was pierced through; both his legs and his left shoulder while he continued fighting to give them time to get out. To save everyone else, he had to surrender and Toru was exiled. Fujimoto was killed when the enemy general stabbed him through the heart before Toru’s eyes.

The civil war was over.

The warriors returned home after everything was finished. A peace treaty was signed to keep the fighting from happening again but the tension was high. It was going to take a long time to return the town back to normal. There was an idea circulating around that could bring them together sooner: bring Amane in for ‘justice’.

During that same time, Aylan had told her everything that happened and everything he said he would. How his brother wanted to make her a slave. How he wanted to keep her for himself. How she needed to get out of here so he couldn’t have her at all. That her life was truly in danger if she stayed here. She needed to get out and he was going to help her. It was time to tell her about their ‘prophecy’ that was given to him by Horace.

“Kyra, can you come here?” Aylan asked patiently.

“Sure but you’re really interrupting my training, Uncle.” She replied as she raggedly walked over to him. “What’s up?”

“I’m going to tell you a story from my war days. It’s something I think you deserve to know.” He replied.

“Let’s hear it.” Kyra said with an impatient tone.

Aylan began explaining to her the prophecy of the Children of Light. “Ages ago, the previous Sorcerer named Horace, who was a Chronomancer, foresaw the coming of an Age of Heroes. A prophecy for a select group of children who would be born with a radiating light around them.”

“What does this have to do with me, Uncle?” Kyra replied in an uncaring manner.

“You’re one of them.”

“What do you mean?” Kyra questioned. “No way, I’m a part of some prophecy from an old man.”

“You most definitely are, my niece.” Aylan smiled,"  When you were born, a light shined so brightly from around you, it was like you were a beacon.”

“What does this prophecy say exactly?” Kyra wondered aloud.

“It comes down to this: a group of young warriors will rise up to free the Quadrants from the Sorcerer and threats further into the future. Rise up, Kyra. Be the beacon you already are.” Aylan said proudly. “I’ve been training you to move forward, when the time comes.”

“Is there any more?” Kyra asked.

“No, that's about it. You have a destiny ahead of you and I want to make sure you’re prepared,"  Aylan replied.

“Okay.” Kyra sighed,"  First off that sounds absolutely crazy. Secondly, I can’t imagine a light shining from a person. Third, you’re kidding right?”

“Of course, I’m not kidding. I kept this from you so you could live normally. I didn’t want it to interfere with your life but now. You’re trying to leave and it may be your way out of here.” Aylan explained.

“That would be nice.” She said looking to the sky.

“Come now, we’re going to explore beyond our borders. I’m going to let you see more of the world. I don’t want you to be surprised, on your way out.” Aylan announced to her joyously.

Excitedly, " YOU’RE REALLY GOING TO TAKE ME OUT THERE?” Kyra shouted happily.

“I am, but not too far. I never wanted you to be cooped up here, your entire life.”

“Thanks Uncle.”

“You’re welcome Kyra.”

The first stop was back to Quadrant One, the desert. Together, they made their way back through the trees by using the small road within the quadrant leading to their destination, rather quickly. Looking out beyond the trees and into the dry heat of the desert, that hadn’t seen rain in many moons. The sun was shining brightly on them and the heat crept up from the sand. 

Aylan freely stepped out of the Quadrant as if the heat didn’t bother him. For him, it was a feeling of liberation and a fleeting memory of days gone by. His life was war but he missed the friendships he made. Returning to the desert, made him realize how alone he had actually been feeling. He reached out his hand to her,"  Join me?”

Kyra gripped his hand, quickly and nervously, her temptation growing with her rising desires. She was going to get a taste but couldn’t take the step on her own. The nervousness of stepping out of the boundary further confined her to the border of the trees.

Aylan pulled her forward into the desert. “Welcome to Quadrant One. There is nothing around here for miles but on the far end, we have a small town called Riverpass. It was named for the two rivers that pass beside it. There is a small bar there that serves very good...water. They serve more but the water is always crisp, clean, and after trekking through the desert a cool drink of water is a great treat.”

“What are the people like there?” Kyra replied inquisitively.

“The owner is very nice and tries to remain calm and neutral, but sometimes things happen. He’s probably passed at this point. If I had to guess his son has probably taken over, wait..maybe his grandson. There were a few problems with bandits at one point, but we handled that. More could have showed up during this time, though.” Aylan shrugged at her.

Kyra pointed off into the distance seeing a large object far off into the desert. “Any idea what that is?”

Aylan looked to where she was pointing. “I think someone is adding on to their building.” He snapped as he remembered something that was sent to him. “Lei said; they were constructing more levels for the Coastal Inn. Last time I was in Areno, there was nothing there that tall.”

“Is there anything else of note in this Quadrant, besides sand?” Kyra asked.

“Dragons.” Aylan answered quickly. “We had to avoid one because it was so huge and mean. We just let it go since it was in the Blacklands; we just kept moving forward.” He laughed to himself nervously, "That was probably a bad idea.”

Kyra stared at him like he had done something wrong, "That’s not safe.” She stared at him even harder.

“It was a long time ago at this point, Kyra. If that dragon is still alive; I’d be surprised.” He retorted. “Anyway, the heat you're feeling right now will suddenly drop to extremely low temperatures during the night. If you see a chance of rain, get to a safe spot as fast as you can. This desert will flood in the rain,  this doesn’t happen often but when it does you’ll be glad. We usually get some water from it, as well. Just be careful if you see clouds rolling in.”

“I will.” She replied but as they talked, Kyra remembered something that Aylan had said before during the last time they were here. “Uncle, you mentioned ‘Dragon Gods’ the last time we were here. What did you mean?” Kyra asked, questioning his statement.

Aylan was shocked to hear that she remembered him mentioning them, especially after everything that happened since. He moved his hand to his chin and thought about the question before finally replying. “The Dragon Gods are the beings who used to protect our world until it was us ‘mortals’, who became the problem. Once we started having problems in wars, before even my time, they decided they wouldn’t protect us any longer. Since it was our free will that led us to those moments; they took the power they bestowed upon the world and returned to their own dimension, leaving our fate solely in our hands.”

“What do you mean by powers?” Kyra’s curiosity had been piqued once again. She was finding these talks about other lands and gods fascinating. Her green eyes were lighting up with excitement at the knowledge she could gain.

“We’ll start with our home area: Quadrant Two produces elves with botanokinesis. Our powers were bestowed upon us by the Dragon God of Plants, Tiam. There are others as well: Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, Darkness, Light, Time, Space, Wind, and Summoning.” Aylan explained.

“Where are they now?”

“I’m not sure, Kyra. Only one person might actually know and to be honest, I don’t know if she’s still alive. Her name is Ama Telesu.” Aylan replied. “The Dragon Gods cannot be visited without her abilities and permission. We aren’t even able to see her any more, at this point.. Her cathedral is located in Quadrant Two, but it has a barrier around it that pushes you away; she has to let you in.”

Kyra took all the information in and just thought about it. “Let’s go home.”She said quietly. “I’m feeling a bit more drained than usual.”

“I believe the heat from the desert is getting to you, we should cool you down.”

Kyra and Aylan returned home for the night; with her feeling blistered and hot from just being in the desert, for a small amount of time. Coming home brought more secrets to keep from her parents. However she was glad that her Uncle was allowing her to learn more about the Quadrants and not just the one they lived in. The desert was hot, but the experience was worth the heat.

When they arrived home, Kyra immediately went to bathe to help cool off her body more. She soaked in the tub for over an hour just enjoying the cool water before adding in some heat to get clean. Feeling refreshed mentally but still physically drained, she headed to bed for a nap. Her mind raced as she thought about escaping these quadrants, what lies beyond them, and the ocean.

During the time she was asleep, Aylan talked to her parents about letting her sleep through the day and waking her up at night, this time. He told them; it was specifically for ’night training’. Agreeing to his plans, Kyra slept through the rest of the day and finally woken in the night hours. Now she was refreshed physically and mentally. No dreams passed within her sleep and she rested more soundly.

Aylan knocked on her bedroom door,"  Kyra, are you up?”

“I am; just standing around in my pajamas.” She responded. “What do you need?”

“Nothing, just get dressed for training. I will explain more when you’re out here.”

“Alright. Be down soon.” Kyra replied.

Aylan walked back down the stairs and sat down at the bottom; as he waited for her. Kyra took her time getting dressed and put on an extra set of training clothes. She chose these because they weren’t covered in dust like sand from Quadrant One. The other set was to be cleaned as soon as possible, if she was to wear them again. She finished up and headed down the stairs with her gear on, bow and daggers included.

“Ready.”

“Let’s go,"  Aylan replied.

“Yes sir.” Kyra followed behind him to the outside and shut the door. “We’re not really training are we?”

“Mental preparation.” He added calmly, as he began walking towards the south end of Quadrant Two.

“What kind?” Kyra asked.

“The kind you need to see for yourself.”

Quickly, the pair walked through the trees while using this time to take in the surroundings of their home again. Being aware of their surroundings was never enough. Kyra knew this area well but it didn’t matter if she couldn’t tell the differences when something was out of place. Her heightened eyesight and hearing would help to an extent, at least keep things from sneaking up on her.

They finally made it to the bottom of the Quadrant, the border. Kyra tried to step forward into the next location, but was stopped by Aylan. “Don’t step beyond our borders, this time. This is the Palace Area and the Sorcerer lives in that tall tower. He sees all of these quadrants to an extent but sees, even more clearly, the area around the tower.” Aylan explained.

She shrugged, " I understand all that but why’d you stop me?” She was confused at why he stopped her when nothing was in sight and the place looked deserted.

“I’ll show you.” Aylan stepped out into the palace area. Immediately the dark spirits around the tower began swarming and charging at him. He took a step back into the darkness of the trees. “These spirits will attack upon entry. I’m not sure how many I could actually harm, if any at all. It would take a huge spiritual power to actually interact with them. Probably a Fuseishutsu from Quadrant Three,  well, just two of them. If anyone is going to be in this party of  light, you’ll need one of them.” Aylan explained to her.

“Just two of them? What are the chances of one of them being a part of this destiny?” Kyra questioned.

“If I had to guess, very likely. They’ve taken part in every war and our front lines were created from the swordsmen of Quadrant Three.” He replied.

“Interesting, they must be highly skilled warriors then.” As she spoke, a sudden flash of the swordsmen in her dreams with the gray eyes filled her mind. It felt like someone was projecting him into her mind. She shook her head trying to come back to the real world.

“Kyra, are you okay?” Aylan asked with concern.

“I just saw a flash of a swordsman.” She replied hesitantly not wanting to sound like a weirdo.

Aylan looked at her funny for a moment when she phrased it as a flash. What was she seeing that he wasn’t? How long had she been seeing things like this? “What’s going on Kyra?” He asked bluntly.

Kyra was sighing while blushing in embarrassment because she knew how it would sound. “I’ve been having dreams of a gray eyed swordsman with red and black octagonal armor. He’s powerful and very spiritually adept. His eyes flicker with color as he uses his abilities.”

“That sounds like a Fuseishutsu to me, based on what I know about them. How long has this been going on?” He asked.

“Months, I think. I’ve had these dreams for what seems like forever at this point. I just thought they were dreams.” Kyra shrugged.

Aylan placed his hand on his chin and took his time thinking but he already had an answer. “It’s going to sound crazy but I think someone wants you to see him. It seems that someone is projecting the images into your mind because they want you to know him. For what reason, I couldn’t tell you.” Aylan added before remembering. “Wait..I remembered something. Horace had a daughter but her name escapes me..what was it..?” He added while trailing off.

“What do you know, Uncle?” Kyra asked confused about everything he was talking about.

“It’s not this girl's name, at this point. She had a magical gift involving dreams and it could be her that is allowing you - well forcing you to see him. Unfortunately, I don’t know where she is either, she went missing.” He explained to her.

Kyra raised her right eyebrow at him,"  Missing? A Sorceress? That I don’t believe. If she was possibly stronger than the Sorcerer, it’s more plausible that she was removed before she could grow in strength.”

Aylan shook his head slightly from side to side,"  I hope that isn’t the case, she was a very nice young woman.”

“So…what other information is there about this area?” She questioned.

“Let’s see,"  Aylan said, thinking for a moment. “This large tower is full of spiral staircases.  It also has several different rooms inside of it for training purposes. Each area has a door that leads up but you have to defeat the leader of each before moving up.”

“How do you know so much about this area and inside the palace?” Kyra asked, confused.

“I’ve been inside it, the wars I’ve been in are numerous. Training was the reason by the way.” Aylan explained while hiding information about his past and the reason he was actually there.

Kyra looked around at the area again, seeing the spirits with the vicious nature. “Can you hurt one?”

Aylan looked around as well before answering, "Probably just one and only with my hands. Now if I had my daggers on me; I could harm them all. I just don’t use them any more so I might pass them down.” He looked up for a moment and thought to himself, Is it time to pass them on? “I’ll think about it but it might just be time.”

The sky was still dark as the soul vortex became more visible while orbs of light flowed into it. Every orb of light is a soul and each soul increases the user’s power. A red cloud opened up above as the vortex became darker in color. The souls were traveling into the vortex and then up to the clouds above. The area lit up brightly as a powerful beam shot up from the palace, growing brighter with each soul.

“What’s going on?” Kyra said with a worried tone of voice as she watched it happen. Her face was full of surprise and her eyes were showing visible shock.

“Power absorption, he’s getting more powerful.”Sighing, Aylan looked to Quadrant Three, "I really wish you would stop killing each other. Don’t you know you’re just making him stronger?” He said sternly while looking in the direction of Quadrant Three.

Kyra nodded in agreement after hearing Aylan’s words, "I just wish they’d stop killing each other as a whole. Not even because of the Sorcerer, just because they’re the same clan. They should be better than this.” She was trying to see the positive side of things for all of them involved. She wanted to see the good in them. “What is going on in Quadrant Three?”

“That was spoken like a true Princess.” Aylan said with a smile. “ To answer your question, there are still some battles going on even though the civil war is over.” He sighed deeply before changing the subject. ”We’ll head north from here.”

“Back past the house?” Kyra questioned.

“I want you to see the coast.” He added.

“I’ve seen the coast.” She replied.

“You’ll see more than that this time, my niece.”

Aylan and Kyra began their march back north. As Aylan began running Kyra began keeping up with him. Her green eyes shone with excitement, now she was able to learn more about everything. She was exuding an air of positive and joyous energy. Finally, she was happy with herself as her thirst for knowledge of the outside world was being quenched.

Hours had passed and the sunrise was starting when they arrived at the coast. They were able to see the multitude of colors in the water as the sky was reflected upon it. A beautiful sight to start any morning. Aylan took in the air at the coast and exhaled with a smile upon his face. He didn’t visit here nearly enough even though he loved it.

He reached his arm out to point as he turned and faced inwards towards the forest. A large ridge looming above where the waterfall in the Sacred Grove came from. “Watch.” He said as he continued pointing.

“Watch what?” Kyra replied.

“That ridge.” Aylan responded.

Kyra and Aylan watched the ridge. The sunset's colors began reflecting off the back of, something? A large bubble surrounded the area and the colors bounced back, as if it was hiding the very existence of what was there.

“That is the Cathedral. That large dome is able to be passed through, but without permission you just appear on the opposite side of where you entered. If she wants, she can open up to let you in. Usually it’s just people passing through it, though.” Aylan stated.

“What’s in the Cathedral?” Kyra asked. “Clearly a woman, at least.” She said sarcastically with a smirk on her face.

“The Realms of the Dragon Gods. Hidden and locked away from us mortals. Ama Telesu, is the only one able to allow access to the realms and her home.” He sighed and looked up at it and mouthed:I need a question answered, please. “Maybe she’s feeling helpful today.” He said out loud.

“It would be cool to see inside the hidden Cathedral.” Kyra sighed,"  I doubt we’ll see inside though.”

As she spoke, a large opening appeared in the dome on the side they were on. The Cathedral was revealed to them, as if by chance..but nothing happened there by chance. A woman appeared at the opening dressed in a light blue gown with a hood on it. Her pale skin shone through the opening as she smiled and waved them inside, without a word spoken.

“What a surprise.” Aylan said with quiet surprise.

Kyra was so excited and anxious about what was happening. She didn’t think she’d ever actually see into the Cathedral and didn’t expect it today, at all. All they had done was talk about it; what made them so special?”

Aylan and Kyra followed the woman inside the Cathedral. The grand hall and entrance were large and echoing, every footstep, and gasp was as if multiple people were inside with them. Though it was only Kyra who was making the noise. Aylan was acting completely normal as if he had been in here dozens of times. He was still looking around; he just wasn’t as impressed as she was.

After a few minutes, a pale woman with black hair and violet eyes greeted them wearing a form fitting dress showing off her curvaceous figure and long legs. “Aylan, it's been so long, honey. How have you been?”

“You know me, Miss Telesu, just living my life as if it's my last.” He replied with a gentle smile. “This is my niece, Ky..”

Ama interrupted, "I know who she is, Aylan.” Rolling her eyes, she turned to Kyra,"  It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kyra.”

“How do you know me?” Kyra asked bluntly.

“Oh, I know a bit of everything.” She replied with a wink. “Come, meet with me in the library.”

Kyra and Aylan followed behind Ama, as she led the way to the library. Her hips swinging back and forth garnering their attention. Aylan wasn’t the one to stare but it had been so long since he had seen her, that he was just as enticed as he was many years ago. Kyra was comparing their forms in her mind and feeling slightly embarrassed about it. They had very similar body types but Ama walked with a highly sexualized swish while Kyra just walked as normal as she could, it was about function not form or drawing attention to herself. Kyra watched her thinking about how attractive she was and it was clear that Aylan thought the same.

“Someone, anyone, say something. This quietness is dull, sweeties.” Ama said while glancing back. “I know, I’m gorgeous..but you can stop staring..okay, don’t stop staring.” She said with a wink to them.

Kyra blushed and tucked her head down into her cleavage. “Sorry.” She replied. “I’m still in shock of being here.”

“And I’m still in shock of seeing you again.” Aylan responded with a slight laugh while he continued to check her out.

“Come now.” She paused. “Enter my library and enjoy my company.” Ama added after the short break.

Together, they walked inside the library. Books covered every wall and scrolls laid across many of the tables. In the center of the library, a few sofas and chairs around a smaller table as if set up for a book club. She motioned for them to sit down but before Kyra could, Aylan stopped her.

“Can you give us one second, Kyra? I need to ask her a few questions real quick.” Aylan politely asked.

Kyra nodded,"  As long as she doesn’t mind me reading some books while I wait.”

“Of course not, Sweetheart. You’re welcome to raid my library while you’re here.” Ama, happily replied.

Kyra excitedly walked off to the other end of the room and started looking at scrolls but instead picked a book up off the table. History of the Quadrants. That could be helpful. She thought to herself before she dove into it.

Aylan looked over at her and returned to Ama, "Do you know if Horace’s daughter is still alive?”

“Is that all you wanted? You brought her here to ask me that? She’s going to have to have her mind blanked for the entire day, Aylan.” Ama explained with a slightly raised voice.

“Why does that need to happen at all?” Aylan asked, confused.

“It’s not her time to be here. She would have come here later, with a swordsman. That was when she needed to be here. I don’t want her to know that she can come here to train without traveling, at all. She’s extremely important to the timeline, she needs to be with the group, and she needs to be with the Swordsman.” Ama replied sternly. 

“Who is this Swordsman?” Aylan questioned, trying to satiate his confusion.

“One question at a time.” She looked towards the palace area and felt a faint energy. “Yes. She is alive and her name is Gavran.” Ama faced back towards him. “The Swordsman is the one we’ve been waiting for, and with him we get the rebirth of Chronomancy.” She looks Aylan in the eyes,"  He’s also very attractive.” She said, lightly biting her lip seductively.

“Chronomancy...has it been that long since Horace? I didn’t think we’d see another one in my lifetime, is he a part of the prophecy?” Aylan asked.

“Yes and yes, he was the trigger. Soon enough Aylan, he’ll be on your doorstep. He’s a good person but he needs guidance. He feels alone, separated,  from the world even though he’s the one fighting for the fate of it. Offer what you can to this group and encourage them, including her.” Ama spoke in a serious manner, noticing that she drew the attention of Kyra.

Kyra came back over to the table, book in hand, while looking down at it.”Does this swordsman have gray eyes, black hair, and red armor?”

“Yes he does, Kyra. His name is Amane Fuseishutsu and he’s alone in this world. His mother, father, a mentor, a clan, a home, and a best friend were all stolen from him.” Ama continued on. “He may not show you his soft side but he’ll show his optimistic side.”

“Amane.” Kyra repeated. ”That’s who I’ve seen in my dreams. He’s very powerful for one so young.”

“There’s the Fuseishutsu for the prophecy, Kyra.” Aylan said with a slight laugh. “I told you it was likely.”

“You definitely called it, uncle.” She replied.

“Just so you know; he’s your age, love.”Ama looked at Kyra. “You would be so cute together.”

Kyra blushed, buried her face into the book, and walked away. She was actively tuning things out now, as her face turned red. She did find him intriguing though. Ama laughed at her youthful embarrassment. The Kyra she was used to also turned red when Amane was brought up. This Kyra was a hundred years younger and less experienced in love but more experienced with the world at this point in her life.

“Does Kyra get married?” Aylan asked.

“She does. To a good man, powerful, just, and a heart of gold.” Ama replied with a smile. “The downside is that he’ll die at the end of his destiny” Her face became serious.

“It’s the swordsman isn’t it?”

“Could be.” Ama stated quickly as she looked at Aylan. She leaned over the table towards him, her dress revealing her cleavage, as she whispered close to his face. “The last person he will see in this life; is her.”

“That’s depressing.” Aylan added while his head dropped. He closed his eyes realizing that she had gotten so close on purpose. “Why tell me this?”

“Because you asked, silly.” She said jokingly before sitting back down. “Neither of you will remember this conversation.”

“What? Why?!” He replied.

“You know too much and I can’t have that. I need this timeline to stay on course since I’ve changed it enough to give the world a chance. This is the LAST chance...after this, I’m out of power to do anything else.” She continued quietly. “This is it.”

“Ama, what did you do?” Aylan demanded to know.

“Changed key points. Kyra is younger. Amane got more time with his family. Toshiro gained confidence. The others I have yet to look into fully. These three are my current interests but there are more.”

“Will they succeed?” Aylan asked.

“For a while.” Ama said bluntly. “Unfortunately, I’ve said too much and you must be going. I can’t say any more.” She sighed deeply,"  I wish you wouldn’t have asked...I can’t keep my mouth shut. Well, there is one way to shut it.” She winked at him seductively.

“Another time on that offer, Ama. It’s been a long while.” Aylan said, slightly embarrassed but very interested. “Come on, Kyra, we need to head home.”

Kyra looked over to them, "Really? Already?”

“Yes,"  Aylan stated.

“Fine.” Kyra said in an exaggerated huff, setting the book down then walking over. “Thank you for allowing us to visit. It’s been magical.”

“You’re quite welcome, Kyra. I hope we can meet again in the future.” Ama smiled at her and took her hand pulling her into a hug. She whispered into her ear,"  Follow your heart. Go to the border of Quadrant Three near the mountains in seven days.”

“Why?” Kyra asked.

“You’ll see.” Ama pulled back with a joyous smile. “I wish you the best.”

Suddenly and instantly, the pair was set outside the barrier, just before it. Ama made it quick and easy to remove anyone from her Cathedral. As much as she loved the company it wasn’t the time for this yet. She smiled and stared at them. “Remember to go to the Quadrant Three border in seven days.” She focused on it for a minute and changed the barrier that once they passed through they’d forget everything dealing with her in the last bit of time here. Only Kyra would remember the seven day comment and Aylan would remember Gavran’s name.

“She was interesting.” Kyra said smiling just thinking about the interactions.

“She always has been. I think she was coming onto us both, that was weird.” Aylan said with a slight laugh beneath his words.

“Let’s get home, I guess…”Kyra said embarrassed just thinking about Ama coming onto her.

Together they walked out of the area through a different opening and appeared beside the waterfall in the Sacred Grove.

Ama looked down at them from the balcony," I wish you the best. I am sorry for making you forget. I need this timeline to play out correctly and for that to happen certain things must happen, again. Kyra, I'm sorry to have to put you through this heartache, once more.” The barrier opening had closed after they passed through it.

A small addition to their memory was added so they wouldn’t question how they got to this point after being so far away from it. It wasn’t much, just a simple fake memory to save them the wonder of how they wandered here. The interaction with Ama was buried but not forgotten.

“Ready to go home?” Aylan asked.

“Sure, get some food for us and rest. Then go check out the border we have left tomorrow.”

Together they began returning to the palace. The entire time Kyra kept thinking about one phrase: seven days go to Quadrant Three. She didn’t know where it came from but she thought it had to be important, since she couldn't stop thinking about it. Kyra wondered why she needed to go there but she couldn’t figure out where the thought came from or why she should go, but it was a powerful urge.

They took the long way around to waste time, until it got dark again. Keeping Kyra awake for a longer time so she could return to her sleep schedule easier. Arriving home, Kyra immediately went to her room without eating. She began to feel hot with a throbbing headache, feeling like her heart was in her head. She laid down on her bed and closed her eyes for a moment, blocking out the last bit of light remaining.

Passing out on her bed, minutes later with the headache, her body began glowing a light green color. Vines growing around her as she slept and forming a cocoon surrounding her body. Her powers were awakening. Being around Ama, seemed to have awakened them but she was able to access more power within her body and more plant based skills.

For the next seven days, Kyra was wrapped up in her plant cocoon while changing internally. Her physical appearance altered just slightly, adding more green to her eyes, and vine markings that wrapped around her arms and legs. She would have a much better understanding of her abilities when she could harness them fully. Practice could make her the most advanced user of these skills in many years.

Kyra awoke with the urgent desire to leave to go to Quadrant Three. She had to go. She darted out of the room as she was fully dressed already grabbing her gear as she did so. It was the gear from the tree since she took off out the window. Her speed and jumping skills allowed her to cover distance quickly.

A green aura streaked behind her as she ran like she had an overabundance of energy surging through her. All she had was the urge to get to Quadrant Three. She ran for hours as a blur of green that sped through the trees. When she arrived she finally saw him in person...the swordsman from her dreams.

Pausing to stare, she watched closely, as he cleaned his weapons outside of a cave. The smell of blood lingering from where he came from, another person was cut down by his blade. What was she doing here? Was this what her urge was, seeing him clean his sword? Or was this just to see him? What made him so special to her?

She continued watching as he removed his shirt from his chest and took a cloth to it. She blushed slightly under her hood while she stared. She saw a dark spot that seemed like it was dirt from him falling onto his back, at least to her. He stood up from his seat and stepped back, raising the fire from the ashes using only his hands, he was a pyromancer. She exhaled as he walked away into the cave.

What are these feelings I’m having? I shouldn’t have such strong feelings for someone I’ve never met. She watched a bit more seeing him come back with food and heating it up on the fire. He looked in her direction and she disappeared quickly, shrugging as he went back to cooking his food. Did he notice me? She thought to herself.

Kyra made her way to a cabin in the woods near the quadrant border. There she stayed during the day while returning back home, only at night. She was still training but she was also patrolling the area..specifically this border. She wanted to see what he’d do and having seen him in person, she was even more intrigued.